Head of Crowd Safety & Security

Job title: Head of Crowd Safety & Security

Based at: Cheltenham Racecourse

Contract type: Permanent 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week 

About the role

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Head of Crowd Safety & Security to play a pivotal role in protecting people, events and venues across The Jockey Club Group.

Leading safety and security strategy across our portfolio of racecourses and event venues, you will drive a positive and robust safety culture, champion best practice and provide expert leadership on all aspects of crowd safety, security and regulatory compliance. This is a unique opportunity to influence safety standards at some of the country's most prestigious sporting and entertainment events while ensuring every visitor enjoys a safe and secure experience.

About The Jockey Club 

The Jockey Club stages thrilling sporting occasions and live events nationwide including The Grand National, The Cheltenham Festival & The Derby. Owning & operating 15 course’s, millions of people every year enjoy the special experiences we offer through racing, music, food, and entertainment on raceday’s and beyond.

As the largest commercial group in British racing, we are guided by our mission to act for the long term good of the sport. Every penny we make goes back into racing to promote excellence within Britain’s second biggest spectator sport. Our people are what makes this possible 

Jockey Club Estates (JCE) is the property and land management arm of The Jockey Club Group, managing substantial and diverse property portfolio, providing 1^st class racehorse training facilities as well as hospitality in the historic Jockey Club Rooms

At The Jockey Club people are at the heart of what we do and drive our success. We are inclusive and actively seek to attract people with unique backgrounds and perspectives. Diverse, collaborative teams are pivotal to our success and support the potential and growth of all our people.

The Head of Crowd, Safety & Security will

• Lead and embed a best-in-class Crowd Safety & Security strategy across The Jockey Club's nationwide portfolio of racecourses and venues. 
• Provide expert leadership and assurance on all aspects of spectator safety, event security, crowd management, traffic management and venue operations. 
• Drive compliance with relevant legislation, Safety Certificates, the Green Guide and industry best practice, ensuring consistent standards across the Group. 
• Develop, review and continuously improve safety, security and contingency planning frameworks, policies and operational procedures. 
• Lead the Group's approach to training, exercising and capability development, ensuring colleagues, Safety Officers and stewarding teams are fully prepared to deliver safe events. 
• Oversee governance, auditing and risk management programmes, providing insight, reporting and recommendations to senior leadership and Board-level stakeholders. 
• Build strong relationships with regulatory bodies, Safety Advisory Groups, emergency services and counter-terrorism partners, representing The Jockey Club as a trusted industry leader. 
• Drive continuous improvement across stewarding, security, accreditation and access management systems to enhance operational effectiveness and visitor experience. 
• Lead major incident reviews and investigations, identifying lessons learned and implementing measures that strengthen safety and security performance. 
• Inspire and develop a high-performing team, fostering a positive safety culture where accountability, engagement and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do

About you 

• Significant experience leading Crowd Safety & Security operations within major events, sports venues, live entertainment or comparable high-footfall environments. 
• Hold a Level 4 Diploma in Spectator Safety and IOSH Managing Safely qualification (or equivalent). 
• Proven track record of developing and delivering strategic safety, security and crowd management plans across complex, multi-site operations. 
• A confident and credible leader, able to influence, engage and build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to provide clear guidance, challenge constructively and drive positive change. 
• Strong operational judgement, problem-solving ability and the confidence to make informed decisions in fast-paced environments. 
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail. 
• Experienced in developing, implementing and governing policies, procedures and compliance frameworks that deliver measurable outcomes. 
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across our nationwide racecourse and venue portfolio.

What we offer in return 

• All colleagues can go along to any of our race day or music events free of charge – along with 3 friends or family with our TeamPass Ticket scheme.
• An award-winning pension scheme provider with a generous employer contribution
• A healthcare cash back plan enabling you to claim money back on health & wellbeing services. 
• 25 days annual leave 
• A whole host of other benefits including free eyecare vouchers, a ride to work cycle scheme & discounts across varying retailers & services. 

If you think you have everything we’re looking for and more, then we’d love to hear from you. Don’t hang around, our closing date for this vacancy is 16^th November but we reserve the right to bring this forward if we have many applications. 

This role may be subject to a criminal record check, standard or enhanced DBS check or BHA Suitability Check. By applying you confirm that you are happy for these checks to be carried out